LÉ Eithne Ireland’s Naval Flagship Sets Sail into Retirement | Season 4 – Episode 16
Floats Mar 12, 2024
After 38 years of dedicated service on March 6 2024, the Irish Navy’s flagship, LÉ Eithne, decommissioned on July 8, 2022, was relocated from Haulbowline Naval Base to Cork Dockyard for dismantling and recycling. Laid down on December 15 1982 in Verolme Dockyard, Cork, the 1,920 ton LÉ Eithne was launched December 19 1983.
The prefix “LĖ” stands for “Long Ėiereannach,” meaning “Irish ship” in Irish; “Eithne” refers to an Irish mythology character whose father King Balor imprisoned her in a tower on Tory Island as depicted on the ships crest.
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Built as a long-range fisheries patrol, assigned the hull number P31 and manned by a crew of eighty-three, this was the first Irish Navy Helicopter Patrol Vessel (HPV). According to former captain Mark Mellet; “We had a SA365F Dauphin helicopter that was integrated with the ship which was the first time that was done in the history of the State”.
Based at Haulbowline Naval Base and with the callsign EIYS, she served initially as a fisheries patrol vessel and her role expanded into maritime defence and security, drug interdiction, and search and rescue. She also completed humanitarian missions in South America in 2006 and Operation Pontus in the Mediterranean in 2015 and 2017.
In 2017 the LÉ Eithne underwent a complete refurbishment by Cork based MMD Construction and works included: “…the removal of existing interiors, including, floor screeds, tiles, and carpets, and complete re-tiling, re-upholstering and miscellaneous decorating and finishing works, such as curtains, stainless steel work to galley’s, bulk heads and deck heads. Included in the works was the provision of fitted furniture and bunks to cabins.”
In 2022 despite the refurbishment efforts, the aging of the vessel and a decline in naval recruits, coupled with the need for a more efficient ship with a smaller crew, led to minister for defence Simon Coveney accepted a recommendation from the Department of Defence that the LÉ Eithne along with the smaller Peacock-class patrol vessels LÉ Ciara and LÉ Orla, representing one-third of the fleet should be decommissioned and disposed of.
Several entities, such as Dublin Port and local authorities in Cork and Limerick, had expressed interest in acquiring LÉ Eithne as a museum piece or tourist attraction after decommissioning. However, it was subsequently decided that all three ships should be dismantled and recycled in line with the EU Ship Recycling Regulations at Cork Shipyards.
According to the Department of Defence there are ongoing plans to replace the LÉ Eithne with a multi-role vessel. However, a word of caution from the vessel’s former captain Mark Mellet as to the governments design deliberations on the new multi-role vessel: “What I’ve seen in my lifetime; the sea conditions off the west coast of Ireland have increased significantly in line with the changes in climate. The largest wave ever measured by scientific instrument was about 300 miles off the north-west coast of Mayo which was over 100ft in height – and our ships will need to have larger platforms to deal with that.”
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Information sources and photo credits:
Afloat.ie
Dan Linehan
David Creedon
Irish Naval Service
David Hobbs
Department of Defence
Echo Live
Image: Collins
Irish Examiner
Jonathan Thacker
MMD Construction
News Talk
Paraic Sullivan
RTE
Transportation History
William Murphy – Dubin
